ARLINGTON, Wash. — Nearly 40 acres of farmland along State Route 530 NE will remain in agriculture for generations to come. The land was permanently conserved through a partnership between Forterra and Snohomish County, with support from the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians. The property will remain farmland in perpetuity, with long-lasting benefits to both the agricultural community and the environmental health of the Stillaguamish Valley.
“For our family, this is about being able to keep farming and knowing this land will remain farmland long after us,” says farm owners Brian and Connie Foster. “Agriculture is an important part of this valley and this community, and we’re glad to know these acres will remain part of that future.”
The Foster family’s farm has operated for over 70 years as a dairy, hay, and agro-tourism operation. The land parcels that will be included in the easement are adjacent to the Portage Creek Wildlife Area to the south and lie within a Flood Hazard Zone critical area.
By entering into a voluntary agreement restricting development on the property, the farm owners are adding to the lands that help reduce downstream flooding and pollution runoff while allowing the land to remain privately owned and, in this case, continue to be farmed.
“This is exactly the kind of conservation that can deliver multiple benefits at once: helping a family continue farming, sustaining the agricultural character of the Stillaguamish Valley, and keeping an important floodplain landscape open and undeveloped,” says Forterra Vice President of Real Estate Julie Currier. “It’s a lasting investment in both the community and the health and resilience of the land.”
The conservation easements were possible thanks to funding from the Snohomish County’s Conservation Futures program as well as funding provided by the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, supporting floodplain restoration and resilience through the Washington Department of Ecology’s Floodplains by Design grant program.
The Foster family joins other landowners who have used conservation easements to protect farmland and habitat in the Stillaguamish Valley. These easements are part of a long-term, collaborative effort among landowners, Forterra, Snohomish County, the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians and other partners to keep working lands in agriculture while protecting habitat and important floodplain functions.
This is one of more than a dozen conservation easements Forterra holds or has facilitated in Snohomish County. Statewide, Forterra has completed nearly 500 conservation transactions, protecting more than 275,000 acres. The organization monitors more than 100 easement properties annually to ensure that conservation commitments remain in place.
To learn more about Forterra and conservation easement opportunities, visit www.forterra.org.
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Media contact:
Kristi England, Chief Governance, Policy & Innovations Officer
media@forterra.org
ABOUT FORTERRA
Forterra is an unconventional land trust that works across Washington’s communities and landscapes. From the estuaries, farms and forests of Washington’s coast to the ranches and shrub-steppe of eastern and central Washington, reaching more than 100 counties, cities, towns, and rural communities. For 36 years, we’ve innovated and scaled land-based solutions to address the climate crisis, conserve and care for wild and working lands, and support equitable, green and prosperous communities. Visit Forterra.org.
